Dark Horse: Team Muse Style

So I was thinking what would be a good way to start off my first article since now I am part of team Muse. So I will talk about the lists I used at the last Michigan GT qualifier tournament. What’s the Michigan GT you ask. I don’t even really know, lol. I can tell you that the Michigan GT is going to be held in October and on the first day will be one of the Warmachine Weekend Qualifiers that are taking place throughout the year, or what’s left of it at this point. On the second day is the tournament for those that have won a Michigan GT qualifier to play in a invite tournament only for a prize of a free army. The GT qualifier takes the top 3 from the tournament and if any of the top 3 have already qualified then it goes on down to the next person who has yet to qualify. Though the list below is the one I used back at the last tournament, sometime in April/May, I had already qualified at the first GT qualifier back in January at Hollow Mountain Games in Lansing for their store opening tournament. So enough of the boring stuff, lets get down to the list.

I played P.Magnus as one of my lists for the tournament, mainly because as always ask one of the PGs here to pick which casters/locks I will use for a tournament and this was one of the ones he chose. I played his theme list and was at tier 4 benefits/requirements for the list. So here is the breakdown of the requirements/benefits:

Tier 1: 1 long gunner unit or trencher unit can be taken and will count as mercenary models, reduce the cost of Renegade warjacks by 1

Tier 2 Requirement: Include two or more steelhead units

Tier 2 Benefit: Small based Steelhead units gain advance move

Tier 3 Requirement: Battlegroup contains 3 or more warjacks

Tier 3 Benefit: For each warjack in the battlegroup place one wreck marker of corresponding size

Tier 4 Requirement: Battlegroup contains 2 Renegades

Tier 4 Benefit: Upkeeps may begin in play on his battlegroup

The List:

Magnus the Traitor +6

Galleon 18

Mangler 8

Renegade (1) 5

Renegade (1) 5

Orin Midwinter 2

Saxon Orrik 2

Kell Bailoch 2

Gorman 2

10 Steelhead Halberdiers 6

10 Steelhead Halberdiers 6

Total: 50/58

Lets take a look at our warcaster Magnus. Good warjack points, average life and armor, though below average DEF and SPD. Good MAT and RAT, though the RAT is only good because it belongs to a spray 8 weapon at POW 12. FOC 6 which only goes a long way with his 4 upkeeps spells because he can upkeep spells on his battlegroup for free. His primary melee weapon allows for you to boost the attack and damage roll for 1 focus thanks to powerfull attack. His other melee attack, though at a low POW, is able to knockdown models regardless of base size. As fitting for a traitor his backstab ability will let him hit like a weapon master and just when you think he will die to range attacks or magic attack fear not as he has feign death to not being able to be targeted by those attacks.

Now for his spell list and feat. He has 2 different attack spells. The first being Arcantrick Bolt, which has a low cost, average range and POW, and the ability to make a warjack that is damaged by the attack to be stationary for a round. His second attack spell is Obilteration, this high cost, medium AOE, and average range and high POW spell does what the name says. But onto the real strength of this warcaster, his high list of upkeep spells. The first is Blur, this spell gives the model/unit a good bonus to DEF against range and magic attacks. His second upkeep spell is Temper Metal, this spell gives one warjack a bonus to ARM and the ability to be immune to continuous effects. His third upkeep is Iron Aggression, this gives a warjack the ability to run, charge, or make slams or tramples without spending a focus and gain boosted melee attack rolls. His last upkeep spell is Snipe, which gives the model/unit a great bonus to their RNG on their weapons. His feat allows for all models currently in his battlegroup to run at the end of your turn and without spending focus and ignoring free strikes.

What I like to do with the list is start the game with Blur on Magnus, Snipe on one of the Renegades, Iron Aggression on the Mangler, and Temper Metal on the Galleon. Since I get to have some wreck markers in play I like to put them out to where my trooper models, and other important models, can jump on in to get protection. I like to place the colossal sized wrecker marker, and yes you get one of those with the Galleon in the list because the Theme force specifically calls out corresponding wreck markers, in the middle. This way Magnus with Blur on himself can run into it and have a nice DEF of 21 (14 base, 3 for blur, 4 for cover) against ranged and magic attacks. I have the steelhead units on the flanks so that way they can easily get where I need them and provide a speed bump for my warjacks. A great man once said that warjacks/warbeasts are the best thing in your list because they have the ability to boost and I very much agree with this. Plus with powerful charge, CMA, and set defense they are not bad unit choices for only 6 pts per 10 models.

When the game really gets down to what my strategy is going to be I can see people making the argument for having Snipe on the Galleon. But to be fair Snipe on the Renegade, a warjack that though can only shoot his gun once per game, is much more scary. This is because it automatically knocks down everyone in its medium sized AOE and is a POW 16. Since you can upkeep spells for free in the battlegroup you can then bounce the spell to the next Renegade or the Galleon if need be. In the GT qualifier round 2 is when I played Brian from the great Warman guys. His Epic Krueger was assassinated at the top of turn 2 by this strategy, though I must admit he “helped” me a little as advanced farther than he should have. He had TKed himself and casted Stormwall and charged a model of mine that was well out of reach, he did this purposefully as to give Krueger extra movement and to get behind a wall, and also held onto 2 fury for transfers. The Renegade with Snipe on it was across from Krueger, as well as 3 Steelheads within charge range of Krueger. I allocated 2 focus to the Renegade and 2 to the Galleon standing just a little behind him. The aiming Renegade was found to be just a quarter inch out of Stormwall so Snipe was able to make sure it had the range to Krueger, a boosted 11 was all that was needed and it found Krueger hit directly. Boosted damage allowed for Brian to say that would be to much damage and transferred it. The 3 Steelheads charged and on the last attack he had to use his last transfer. But Magnus then casting Snipe onto the Galleon with 2 focus on it was all that was needed to win the game.

Not all my games that tournament were like that but some other interesting things would occur, like a Sniped Galleon dragging an Angelius under Saeryn’s feat out of her control area for it to smack it once and then Steelheads to finish it off. The solos like Kell and Orin can help clear out some charge lanes, pick off important models, or in Orin’s case shut down casting of spells (looking at you Butcher3). Also the Iron Aggression Mangler is quite capable of handling troops and warjacks/warbeasts, especially if they have already been softened up from shooting and the Steelhead speed bumps.

Well I hope this has been entertaining and look forward to writing more of these. If you have any requests just send me a personal message on the forums and I will see what I can do.